3/27/13

Marvel and DC galore! I had a "balanced" pull-list with many treasures and only one disaster. I also want to thank everyone who joined the G+ community this week +Sam's Pull List is also doing great. I am so thankful that all of you read and enjoy this blog.

My Pull-List this week. Enjoy!

• Deadpool Killustrated #3

This is one of the funniest non-Millar comics ever. With a hilarious new cast of story-book characters for Deadpool to butcher and some of the wittiest one-liners yet. The art was luscious with dark inks and bright colors and the cover art was spectacular. One of the most endearing parts of this particular storyline is it's ability to make supporting characters more than just mindless lackeys. When Deadpool takes over Frankenstein as a home for his "second mind" I thought: "We won't be seing much of him." I was so wrong. Frankenstein is the perfect sidekick for an insane mercenary and together they slash their way through many dear children's story characters. Some victims are:

• Scrooge
• The little Mermaid
• The jungle book characters

I mean, the Jungle Book characters? It was quite a battle to behold, complete with a Shakira reference. Great issue!

• Age of Ultron Book 3

I was so confused when this issue began. They showed a scene that seemed disconnected from the arc so far, and it was. Only when I began to read deeper into the issue I realized the thought behind the opening scene. What followed was an issue of lots of dialogue and very little action. This was quite enjoyable because BMB is a master of the craft of conversation. The plan that the survivors came up with was smart but risky. All of the major heros played a large part in the making of the final decision  but it was Hawkeye who really made the best points. The best part of this storyline is the ability to switch between little groups of survivors. Seeing how different heros are taking in the apocalypse.

About the art. Everyone LOVES Bryan Hitch. I do not understand that at all. His terrible facial expressions cause dialogue to be less meaningful which is tragic when the writer is the legendary BMB. I am excited for next issue and am thinking about buying the Ultron title.

• Batman Incorporated #9

I would have thought that it would be hard to settle back down to the normal BI after the universe altering #8. This issue was perfect in all aspects. A emotion filled funeral, suspenseful flashbacks, a sidekick becoming a hero, a tank and a speech that said that Batman was no longer welcome in Gotham. Bruce's speech at Damian's funeral was meaningful without crossing the line into cheesy-hell. The book was well paced and bleak with Chris Burnhams art remaining to be the perfect fit for this title. Batman is a very emotional character and Grant Morrison makes that very clear. I am sad that Morrison is leaving but think he has done a superb job on this crazy title. 

• Guardians of the Galaxy #001

I didn't know that this issue was being so hyped until I received a promo card and info card from the comic store tonight. They had already given away all of their posters. The issue was a great debut and I felt like I really got a good feel for all of the characters. I usually don't like Iron Man but in this story he is portrayed as less of a self-confident snob but more as a team member. The encounter of Peter and his dad was exciting and well-written, it is a very interesting dynamic that I am sure BMB will explore in more detail. The action sequence was terrific. I enjoyed how BMB split the Guardians into a few "mini-teams" within the team. 

• Batman: The Dark Knight

This is now one of my favorite DC title. The artwork is unmatched, with the best inking for a long time and Batman at his finest Ethan Van Sciver is a top-notch illustrator. It's emotionally driven. Gregg Hurwitz make the Mad Hatter one of the best in Batman's rogues gallery. The frequent flashbacks make this title less about Batman and more about the villains. This book deserves more than a T though, maybe T+ borderline A. There is a ton of brutal, immoral murder and gallons of blood. The Hatter seems to be planning some kind of performance and I can't wait to see what it entails. 

• Talon #6

The Grandmaster! What an ominous title. Calvin delves deeper into the court and finds things that were meant to stay hidden. The battles are great and suspenseful, the Washington's are their emotion driven selves and a HUGE secret is revealed. The art is beautiful and plays well with the writing. I was skeptical about this spin-off but know I am digging it. 

• Teen Titans #18

One word: Unreadable.

2/27/13

This week was a great week, but the most sad comic week I have ever been through. I think you all know why.

• Batman Incorporated #8

This issue was one of the single most dramatic issues I have ever read. The story begins in a warzone unlike anything you've ever seen and just gets better. They really should not have named this series Incorporated, but rather Batman Family I mean seriously, you have Dick, Tim, Damian, Bruce and Commissioner Gordon all fighting at the same time against the same enemy...But, anyways, the writing was clever and snappy (what we have come to expect from Grant Morrison) and I though the artwork was also phenomenal. Without going into the gory details I will say that Damian's death was very well thought through. I really hope that this series will continue even without Grant because it is a really intriguing story arc.

• Batman: The Dark Knight #17

I have really come to enjoy this series for what it is. And it is a way to settle a solid foundation for Batman while keeping fans entertained. I have never though the Mad Hatter as anything but in Gregg Hurwitz's hands he is quite an interesting villain. This issue has a perfect balance of flashback and suspense. The Mad Hatter is beyond brutal and completely insane, if they ever make a movie featuring him it will send children into endless fits of nightmares.

• Guardians of the Galaxy #0.1

I bought this book off of a recommendation, so I clearly wasn't a fan before today. It was a very good comic, I think it was the best way to introduce me to the main character and it made up a good, entertaining issue. I though it was weird (space guns, aliens) although it wasn't as weird as say Fear Agent. Steve McNiven's art was very clean and satisfying. I will be anxiously looking forward to #1.

• Talon #5

I though that the last issue of Talon was a truly compelling comic, I was back this month to read all about the next chapter in Calvin Rose's life. This book started out well, Calvin and his ragtag team of companions talking about their tedious lives living in a bunker. The daughter of Calvin's love interest Casey Washington is a very cute character and the only young comic book character character authors have ever gotten right. The dialogue is the star of this comic as Snyder and Tynion masterfully create scene after scene of smooth and natural conversation while not boring the reader. This is a skill that is to be admired and cherished. I got really desperate when the band of anti-courtists were discussing the infiltration of a Court controlled fortress that was seemingly impossible. I am very excited for the next issue.

• Before Watchmen: Dr. Manhattan #4 of 4

As much as I hate JMS I have enjoyed Dr. Manhattan. This last issue was strange, and I don't think the strangeness really paid off. There were two times when I had to twist the comic around in my hands to understand what was going on. There was also a large Ozymandias prescence in this particular issue. I actually think this creative team got the character of Ozy much better than they did Dr. Manhattan so this issue was a break from the ordinary series. Like the other Before Watchmen titles, I'm glad I was along for the ride, but I'm glad the ride is over.

• Teen Titans #17

I was just picking up my friends comic, this is not my sub, but I decided to read and review this anyways. This was also a Death of the Family Aftermath issue, so I was mildly interested. This comic started mediocre with the sad creation of a new villain that seemed suspiciously like something that belonged in an X-Men book. It was really a standard new mutant introduction; young boy afraid of his powers, he says how the powers started out weak and then grew more intense, blah, blah, blah. Anyways this kid is hooked up to this machine and gets stabbed a bunch of times, classic. Then some supervillain takes the new villain in as his minion. The Titans move their residence to a giant cruise ship (courtesy of Tim Drake) and they set sail moping in self pity about their recent run-in with the Joker and checking out the ship. In the course of the night the Titans manage to: piss one another off (multiple times), make terrible jokes, have a conversation that made my skin crawl and Tim Drake made out with every woman on board. There was really no entertainment at all in this entire issue.

1/30/13

This week was a great week to be a comic reader, one of the best for a long time. I am going to review six books that I bought (In order of quality) Batman and Robin Annual #1, Batman Incorporated #7, Before Watchmen: Dollar Bill One-Shot, Talon #4, Batman the Dark Knight #16 and Teen Titans #16. So, without further ado here are this weeks reviews:

• Batman and Robin Annual #1

Annuals are always fun and long but the best Annual is always the one that tells the most interesting story that has nothing to do with the normal series. This creative team could have squandered their opportunity to create a good Annual if they had droned on about Death of the Family for 40 pages, but they didn't. Instead they created a wholesome story that seemed both loyal to the series and completely original. In this tale Damian gives Bruce a vacation by leaving him an international scavenger hunt to solve in order to rekindle his parents memory. The real reason that Damian is giving Bruce this treat is because Damian wants to try being Batman for a while. I had a smile on my face as I read every page of this wonderful issue. Well done!

• Batman Incorporated #7

The last couple of issues have been chaotic and confusing, but still good. I particularly enjoyed this issue because Grant Morrison really dialed it back and explained the whole story. In this issue we saw the relationship and the trust between Alfred and Damian grow. Batman was in little of the book as they focused mostly on Leviathan's attack on Gotham and the twisted plans of the sick Talia Al Ghul. I also liked the backstory talking about Damian's perfect twin fighting his way out of his womb in a dead whale and becoming Talia's #1 Henchman. Lots of action with all four Robins and Commisioner Gordon.

• Before Watchmen: Dollar Bill One-Shot

I went in to reading this comic with very low expectations, Len Wein tends to be a bit wordy and The art seemed a little cartoony for my tastes. I was very wrong. Like the other One-Shot I bought today Dollar Bill delivered an interesting but singular story. The story takes us through Bill Brady's entire life and on to his funeral. One of the best Watchmen prequels yet. My only complaint was that it revisited a lot of the content covered in the Minutemen series instead of coming up with more interesting missions of the Minutemen.

• Talon #4

This issue was the best comic James Tynion IV has ever written. It was well-paced, the characters were well thought through, the plot was intense and the battle was actually very interesting. This issue takes place in New York right where the last issue left off. The main story was the on and off battle of Calvin vs. The Butcher of Gotham who is an incredibly large and strong Talon (Talon SMASH!) that actually had some personality unlike other comic juggernauts. Calvin's relationship and conversations with Casey (old girlfriend) and her daughter are heartfelt without being overly cheesy. This was the first issue that I began to really enjoy learning about Calvin's troubled journey.

• Batman the Dark Knight #16

With a new creative team and a relatively new villain The Dark Knight has taken a turn for the best. This issue meant to be mysterious and delivered as well as being brutal and awesome. The story begins with the typical "chain of random kidnappings" but evolves to be much more. Although I am not such a  fan of the notion that "Batman is his Gadgets" the way the other wove the use of the Bat-Plane and various computers was very interesting. The art was some of the best (No inkers! Hallelujah!) I have seen on the book in a long time. I got my friend to subscribe to this book because I thought it was decent but now I am intrigued.

• Teen Titans #16

This whole mini-crossover within a crossover crap Scott Lobdell has pulled with both of his books has been painful at best. This book was the best, not that good, of the crossovers. I attribute that mainly to the fact that this book had the least appearances from the other team members. Jokers trap was mildly interesting but just played on the fact that Tim is smart and that Jason uses guns which are two points that were already visited upon in this crossover and are over visited upon in general. The art was good aside from the inks which gave the book an unfinished feel. This book turned me off of the series even though I am a big fan of Tim Drake.

1/23/13

A fair amount of books this week, but a definite lack in entertainment. The books that came in were: Before Watchmen: Minutemen #6 of 6, Catwoman #16, Red Hood and the Outlaws #16 and Nightwing #16.

• Before Watchmen: Minutemen #6 out of 6:

Before Watchmen has not lived up to my expectations, not at all. Minutemen was no exception. The entire arc felt fake and unlike Watchmen. Surprisingly, the ending was actually pretty good. There was a clever little twist that really made the series seem much better. I think Darwyn Cooke had good intentions going into the project but I am very glad it is over.

• Catwoman #16:

For whatever reason I kept this subscription after it finished Death of the Family, in hindsight I am not really sure why. #15 was good enough and I was a little curious to see how the Black Diamond Probability arc ended. Let me just tell you #16 was a mess. The writing was poor and repetitive, the story was confusing and in the end not satisfying, the art was sloppy and Catwoman (as usual) was over-sexualized. I don't know if I want to drop this sub, but I probably will. Please comment to tell me what to do.

• Red Hood and the Outlaws #16:

Part 3 of an already boring mini story. Remember Teen Titans #15? It was awful. This is the continuation of that. The Titans and the Outlaws team up to fight joker-infused homeless people. These are both terrible teams created by none other than Scott Lobdell and when they come together they are even more dreadful. The story is sort of ridiculous and hokey. I am definitely unsubscribing to this series.

• Nightwing #16

I am usually a big Nightwing fan and I read and enjoyed the first graphic novel and enjoyed #15 quite a bit. Somehow, this issue just didn't work as a Death of the Family tie-in. Sure, there was a creepy moment when Joker dug up all of the bodies of the former Haly's Circuis members and stood them in the circuis tent. But, the rest was just weird explosions and hallucinations. There was also one moment where Dick's dead friends came in jokerized and started taunting him that was quite entertaining. I am excited for the next issue because Kyle Higgins rumoured that his greatest Nightwing story yet is just around the corner...

1/2/13

I had three books pulled today. The best being Batman Incorporated #6 and the worst being Teen Titans #15. The other book was Talon #3.

• Batman Incorporated #6:

I love Grant Morrison, let me just get that across. His entire run on Batman was phenomenal and I enjoyed the original Batman Incorporated immensely. Of the New 52 Batman Incorporated this one is definitely the best. The Al Ghul's are awesome and this portrays Talia very well. She is smart and gives Batman a mental and physical challenge that makes a very interesting story. Leviathan takes center stage again as Batman recovers from the battle in issue 4 while trying to find where Talia's elusive voice is coming from. An extremely interesting interaction happens where Dick, Jason and Damian get a little more familiar with each other. The ending left me speechless. I am very excited for next month!

• Teen Titans #15:

This is one of the worse Death of the Family tie-ins. Scott Lobdell is a hack, and this book shows exactly that. The book guest stars Batgirl but doesn't go anywhere with it. All of the Titans respond in exactly the same way by being snotty and disrespectful to someone who is clearly superior and has much more experience dealing with the Joker. That being said the confrontation between Tim Drake and the Joker is very interesting. The Joker wears Tim's wings and flys around the rafters. He also has a very creepy way of guessing exactly what Tim is thinking that I thought was clever but not exceptional writing. The art is okay, but of course all of the women are grossly over-sexuallized and the Joker is not nearly as well drawn as Greg Capullo's version of the Joker.

• Talon #3:

Court of the Owls was one of the best Batman stories ever written. Period. When I saw that a former Talon was going to get their own book I was super excited, and just when I thought it couldn't get any better I found out that Scott Snyder was writing it. After four books I am still not delighted with how they are directing this book. In almost every book Calvin (the protagonist) kills a Talon or two in some uninteresting way. This issue was no different. However, this issue did feature an interesting run-in with a rogue group of anti-heroes and an interesting robbery. The writing was quite entertaining and the art was decent. I really hope they find their groove with this book, because if they do Calvin will become a very interesting character.